Underwriters Laboratories

The UL Mark is the most widely used, trusted and recognized safety certification mark in North America: The UL Mark is applied to over 19,200 types of products, including electrical, mechanical, fire resistive, combustion equipment, plumbing, and drinking water products. Over 21 billion UL Marks were applied to products during the past year. The new UL Plumbing Mark is specifically designed to assure customers, retailers and regulatory authorities that products displaying the UL Plumbing Mark have been evaluated to all applicable nationally recognized standards and have demonstrated compliance with both the International Plumbing Code (IPC) and Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC).

The UL Plumbing Mark will be rolled out in phases and will initially appear on products covered under the category of plumbing fixture fittings. This product category covers plumbing fixture fittings such as, but not limited to, faucets for sinks, faucets with pullout spouts and sidesprays, hand-held showers, pressure-balanced valves, and thermostatic mixing valves. These devices are intended to be installed and used in accordance with a model plumbing code (IPC or UPC).

The UL Plumbing Mark will be made available to additional product categories as requested by regulators, installers, and manufacturers to address their safety concerns and business objectives.

Products marked with the UL Plumbing Mark will be evaluated to nationally recognized health effect and performance standards, referenced in the model plumbing codes. Additionally, these products have been evaluated to all applicable nationally recognized standards and have demonstrated compliance with both the IPC and UPC plumbing codes.

All Listed products are categorized in our certification directories (Plumbing and Associated Products Directory and in the Online Certification Directory at www.ul.com) under specific product categories. Every product category contains a guide information page that specifies the standards used in evaluation of the product, and any additional product criteria required by the International Plumbing Code and the Uniform Plumbing Code. The standards used for each product bearing the new UL Plumbing Mark are the applicable standards referenced in the IPC and UPC.

UL will always ensure that the most recent version of the standards, as referenced in the model plumbing installation codes, is used. When new requirements are adopted in the latest edition of the model plumbing installation codes, an effective date will be established and UL will conduct an industry review of all products to determine compliance with the newly established requirements.

In each case, a reasonable effective date will be established for compliance with the current requirements. Generally, this effective date will range from twelve to eighteen months from the time the review is initiated. When compliance with the current requirements is confirmed, you will be authorized to use the new Plumbing Mark.

Products that bear the UL Water Quality Mark have been evaluated to all applicable health-effect standards. The new Plumbing Mark is a Listing mark and indicates that the product has been evaluated to all effective health-effect and performance standards requirements and is suitable for installation and use in accordance with both the IPC and UPC plumbing installation codes. Manufacturers interested in the UL Plumbing Mark will need to have their product evaluated against all standards and requirements established for their product category.

No. The UL Plumbing Mark is an adjunct service that is being offered in addition to other UL Marks. The new Plumbing Mark indicates that the product has been evaluated to all applicable health-effect and performance standards requirements and is suitable for installation and use in accordance with both the IPC and UPC plumbing installation codes. Manufacturers will have the option to use the UL Water Quality Mark in addition to the new Plumbing Mark.

No. The UL Plumbing Mark is being offered as an adjunct service in addition to other UL Marks. There is no requirement to use the UL Plumbing Mark at this time.

Contact a UL customer service representative at 1.877.854.3577, who will get you started.

If there is interest, UL can offer this as an additional adjunct service.

The UL Plumbing Mark is currently available for all plumbing fixture fittings products.

You can contact your normal UL contact, or:

Tom Bowman
Underwriters Laboratories Inc.
333 Pfingsten Rd.
Northbrook, IL 60062

1.847.664.3796
E-mail: Thomas.A:Bowman@us.ul.com